Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, 7 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117574.
Small. 2010 Dec 20;6(24):2781-95. doi: 10.1002/smll.201000418.
Fluorescent labels have been widely used for biological applications, primarily in imaging and assays. Traditional fluorophores such as fluorescent dyes are mainly based on downconversion fluorescence, which have several drawbacks such as photobleaching, high background noise from autofluorescence, and considerable photodamage to biological materials. Upconverting fluorescent nanoparticles emit detectable photons of higher energy in the near-infrared (NIR) or visible range upon irradiation with an NIR light in a process termed 'upconversion.' They overcome some of the disadvantages faced by conventional downconversion labels, thus making them an ideal fluorescent label for biological applications. This review looks at the development of these particles, critically examines the reported applications, and discusses their future in biomedicine.
荧光标记物在生物应用中得到了广泛的应用，主要用于成像和检测。传统的荧光团主要基于下转换荧光，其具有一些缺点，如光漂白、自发荧光产生的高背景噪声以及对生物材料的相当大的光损伤。上转换荧光纳米粒子在近红外（NIR）或可见范围内照射近红外光时，会发射出可检测的更高能量的光子，这个过程称为“上转换”。它们克服了传统下转换标记物所面临的一些缺点，因此成为生物应用的理想荧光标记物。本综述着眼于这些粒子的发展，批判性地审查了报道的应用，并讨论了它们在生物医学中的未来。
